Diri hails Tinubu over siting of oil & gas institute in Bayelsa

…says it will assuage Niger Delta’s feelings of marginalisation

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has hailed Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government for the location of Oil and Gas Equipment and Machinery Development Institute (OGEMDI) in the State, saying among other things, OGEMDI is expected to promote research and technological advancement of the oil and gas industry in the Country.

Governor Diri gave the commendation when officials of the National Agency for Science Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) led by its Research Director, Samuel Olusunle, paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa, the State Capital.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, said the establishment of OGEMDI would help in giving Bayelsa a sense of belonging as the cradle of crude oil production in the Country.

In a press statement released by Doubara Atasi, Media Aide to the Deputy Governor, Governor Diri, also said the establishment of the institute in the State would help to assuage the feeling of marginalisation and economic exclusion of the Niger Delta over the years.

According to him, it would also enhance the application of science and technology in the development of the oil and gas sector in the Country.

He expressed joy that NASENI had inspected the project site, assuring the Federal Government that the State Government is ready to do everything possible to ensure the take-off of the establishment in no distant time.

Governor Diri however urged the Agency to work closely with his Administration to ensure that the institute comes into fruition for the benefit of Bayelsa, the Niger Delta and the country in general.

“We are expressing our profound appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the team of your board for deciding to site this institute in our state based on our request.

“Clearly, as a people, we have always had this impression that the Federal Government has not been fair to us all this while. This is one institution that we think is coming a little bit late to us, but it is better to be late than never.

“We are believing that this is going to be a very big leap in terms of trying to jump-start our forage into our technological breakthrough in terms of contributing technologically towards our sustenance of the oil and gas sector.

“We really want to see how you can quickly run with this project. It is quite elating that you have come to inspect the site for the project so that we can have the dividends of this institution”, he said..

Earlier in his remarks, NASENI Research Director, Samuel Olusunle, explained that his team was in Bayelsa State to see the temporary structures and location donated by the State Government to facilitate the take-off of the institute.

Olusunle also appealed to the governor to avail NASENI with the certificate of occupancy and other relevant documents pertaining to the land donated for the building of the permanent site.

He said: “We have been asked to come here by our executive vice chairman to come and see the preparedness of the state having received your letter recently.

“Two things stand out here: We want to see where we can take-off initially. We also want to see where we will be in the next few months or years because I believe the places already earmarked for us will meet our standards.”